at 18:30 (JST), April 14

Asian View

"Asian View" is a five-minute news segment broadcast by NHK WORLD-JAPAN. It features the latest news and deep analysis from Japan and the rest of Asia. Listen to "Asian View" and get the latest information from a region that's playing an increasingly important role in the world.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20220414183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : planning to use self-defense
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220414_05/

The Japanese government is planning to use Self-Defense Forces transport aircraft to fly relief supplies to Ukraine's neighbors.

Sources close to the government say this is in response to a request from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

The sources also say the dispatch will be based on the international peace cooperation law, and that the government intends to make the decision on it at a Cabinet meeting in the near future.

The government has already announced that Japan will provide Ukraine and its neighboring countries with a total of 300 million dollars in emergency humanitarian aid and loans. It also said the country will mobilize personnel in the fields of health and medical care.

Key words : defense minister responsible
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220414_02/

Japan's defense minister says Russia must be held responsible over the killing of a large number of civilians near the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.

Kishi Nobuo spoke with Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov via a video link on Wednesday.

Reznikov expressed gratitude to Japan for providing its Self-Defense Forces' equipment, such as bulletproof vests, and other assistance.

Kishi said a brutal act in which a large number of innocent civilians were killed has come to light in areas near Kyiv that had been occupied by the Russian military.

He said it is a serious violation of international humanitarian law and cannot be tolerated. He also said he strongly condemns the act, and Russia needs to be held accountable.

After the talks, Kishi told reporters that the unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force shake the foundation of the international order. He said Japan will continue to closely communicate with Ukraine and provide maximum support in cooperation with the international community.

Key words : hong kong ex-police
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220413_27/

The Hong Kong government's former No. 2 official and ex-police official John Lee Ka-chiu has officially registered his candidacy for next month's leadership election.

Lee has gained nominations from more than half of the Election Committee members. He appears almost certain to secure the top post.

Lee on Wednesday handed in his application for the May 8 vote for chief executive.

Hong Kong's leader is selected once every five years. About 1,500 Election Committee members will cast ballots. They are mostly loyal to Beijing.

Lee secured 786 nominations from the committee.

The nomination period runs through Saturday, and no candidate other than Lee, who has Beijing's support, has so far entered the race.

Even if Lee is the only candidate, a vote of confidence will be held. He is expected to secure a majority of votes.

Lee has indicated that if elected, he will push for the enactment of Hong Kong's own security legislation to prohibit acts of treason.

Observers say that as Lee played a key role in cracking down on pro-democracy activists and media critical of the government, it is increasingly likely that the clampdown will be tightened if he takes office in July.

Key words : south harvard university
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220413_26/

South Korea's President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol has nominated lawmaker Park Jin as his foreign minister.

Yoon on Wednesday named Park and seven other candidates for Cabinet posts.

Yoon described Park as an expert on diplomatic relations with the United States. He said he expects Park to help enable South Korea to play a pivotal role in the international community.

Park is currently serving his fourth term in parliament.
He has studied at Harvard University and in Japan, and served as head of a parliamentary committee on foreign relations.

Park led a delegation Yoon recently sent to the US. After meeting senior US government officials, Park indicated that relations with Japan need to be improved.

His nomination apparently reflects Yoon's commitment to cooperation among South Korea, Japan and the US.

Key words : sri lanka final
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220413_20/

Japanese Justice Minister Furukawa Yoshihisa has acknowledged that a final report on the death of a Sri Lankan woman at an immigration detention facility in central Japan contained content that may have been misleading.

He indicated that he will instruct the Immigration Services Agency to submit an explanation into how the content came to be included in the report during the current session of the Diet.

The agency released the final report in August on the death of Wishma Sandamali at a facility in Nagoya. She had been detained for overstaying her visa. She began complaining of ill health at the facility in January and died there two months later.

The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party pointed out the report appears to falsely claim that the woman had made certain comments.

Furukawa said during a Lower House committee he could see that the way the report was written could cause such a misunderstanding. He said he takes the matter seriously.

Lawmakers have called for all videos of the detainee to be released. Furukawa said the Justice Ministry has taken the stance that it will be difficult to do so, but that the request will be reconsidered.

Key words : china import
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220413_36/

China's imports fell in March for the first time in 19 months, mainly as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Customs authorities said on Wednesday the value of imports declined 0.1 percent last month from a year earlier to 228 billion dollars.

Factories across China suspended operations and reduced output due to a rise in infections. Logistics were disrupted in some regions.

Meanwhile, exports rose 14.7 percent, to 276 billion dollars. Shipments to Europe and the United States were brisk.

China's trade with Russia had been expanding sharply. But exports fell 7 percent last month, an apparent reflection of the economic impact of the invasion of Ukraine.

Key words : tour guide
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220414_14/

Professional tour guides in Japan are asking the government for financial support, saying the COVID pandemic poses a serious threat to their careers.

Representatives of two guide organizations have visited Tourism Minister Saito Tetsuo.

They asked him to continue providing people in their profession with subsidies throughout the current fiscal year.

They say the prolonged pandemic has destroyed most jobs in their field. Some guides have been forced to quit or change careers.

Matsumoto Yoshie, President of Japan Federation of Certified Guides, says, "We are reaching our limits both mentally and financially. I believe that a boom in visiting Japan will definitely come after the pandemic. I'm worried that guides who can handle that situation will be in short supply."

The nationally licensed guides provide services to tourists in foreign languages.

Key words : toyota first
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220413_18/

Japan's Toyota Motor says it will launch its first mass-produced EV in the domestic market next month.

Toyota says retail prices of the SUV will start at 6 million yen, or about 48 thousand dollars, but initially it will be available only through a monthly subscription plan.

The company says it chose this system as a way to let consumers try EVs without a large initial outlay.

Toyota executives hope the try-before-you-buy approach will allay consumer fears about maintenance costs and the ease of finding charging stations.